Ancient Ostia | Portus | Port of Ancient Rome | Ancient Rome Ports - Rome Travels | Home | Rome Guide | Rome Tours | Rome Travel | Religious Holidays | Italy Pilgrimages | Italy Shore Excursions Ancient Ostia | Portus | Port of Ancient Rome | Ancient Rome Ports - Rome Travels | Home | Rome Guide | Rome Tours | Rome Travel | Religious Holidays | Italy Pilgrimages | Italy Shore Excursions Ancient Ostia | Portus | Port of Ancient Rome | Ancient Rome Ports Rome Tours The Suburb of Rome: Recommended Itineraries Ancient Ostia & Portus Ostia was the port of Ancient Rome. Being the main sea-port of the Roman Empire, Ancient Ostia followed step-by-step the History of Rome, its birth, rising and decandence. It's the only archaeological site nearby Rome where people may really appreciate how about the real old Roman lifestyle was coupled nowadays with their beautiful ruins. Despite its enormous extension (70 hectares - 173 acres), Ancient Ostia is very much preserved, much better than Rome, due to different floodings of the Tiber River. "Ostia", in Latin, means "mouth" in English.

October 1st, 2008 16 Pages - File 189 Kb. Download HERE Ostia and Portus were more than ancient Rome ports, safe harbours and quays, other than complete towns. Many goods & items - food, wine, olive oil, wheat - were stored in the warehouses in the harbour cities and transported to Rome along the Tiber in tow-boats, pulled by oxen, or by using the two of the famous Roman roads: Via Ostiense on the left and Via Portuense on the right side of the Tiber River - still used every day -. With Caesar Augustus, several guilds became increasingly important. These were associations of craftsmen and merchants, other than fire fighters (Vigiles). We will walk by Frescoes, amazing Mosaics, public and private Baths (SPA), Ancient Temples, Warehouses, old Shops, Condominiums ( Insulae ), Houses (Domus) and, of course, the Capitol. In our opinion, Ostia Antica is second only to the Scavi of Pompeii & Herculaneum. Please see the 3D reconstruction at this link: .

Portus became the port city of old Rome and it was more important than Ostia once two Roman Emperors, Claudius (41-54 A.D.) and Trajan (98-117 A.D. ) built their harbour bassins on the right side of the Tiber River (Ostia is on the left one). Most of the old City of Portus has been levelled in place of the Rome Fiumicino Airport: however, it can be visited only the first Saturday and the last Sunday of each month. Instead, the great archaelogical remains can be visited in its necropolis, which is always open. Its magnificent status of preservation will amaze you whenever we will walk through its frescos, mosaics, stuccos. It is part of the undiscovered outskirts of Rome and nobody goes there. So far, it will be more than beautiful to have a quick tour after the visit Ancient Ostia, as it is located only 4 km (2,5 miles) away. For info and bookings.

RomeTravels@Gmail.com Guided Tour: The Costs Half day guided Tour (4 hours) with English speaking guide and private transportation: 1-2 pax: 550,00 EUR 8-17 pax: 75,00 EUR p.p. 18-40 pax: 50,00 EUR p.p. Notes: 1. Entrance fees not included 2. 21 % vat tax on the deposit to be added Useful Web Article on Ostia Antica: Restoration of the Gardens Houses OSTIA: Useful Web Article: RESTORATION – OSTIA ANTICA: Doors open to the “garden houses” at Ostia Antica After a major and lengthy restoration, the House of Lucceia Primitiva and the decorative elements of the “Garden Houses” at Ostia have been reopened to the public as part of European Heritage Days. These sorts of houses, or insulae – four in all - , are extremely important evidence of building in the Hadrian age....

read more Ostia Antica: Rome’s Ancient Port | Rick Steves | Smithsonian Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Use Ostia Antica: Rome’s Ancient Port The ruins of this one-time commercial center takes visitors back to the time when the Roman Empire ruled the seas The show still goes on in ancient Ostia’s theater. (Courtesy of Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door) smithsonian.com August 31, 2009 Sitting on the top row of the ancient arena, I scan the ruins of Ostia, letting my imagination take me back 2,000 years to the days when this was ancient Rome’s seaport, a thriving commercial center of 60,00 people. I marvel also at how few visitors make the simple commuter train trip from downtown Rome to what I consider the most underappreciated sight in all of Italy. Ostia Antica, just 30 minutes from the Colosseum, offers ancient thrills to rival Pompeii (which is 4 hours south of Rome). Wandering around the ruins today, you’ll see the remains of the docks, warehouses, apartment flats, mansions, shopping arcades, and baths—all giving a peek at Roman lifestyles.

Ostia, at the mouth (ostium) of the Tiber River, was founded around 620 B.C.; its central attraction was the salt gleaned from nearby salt flats, which served as a precious meat preserver. Later, around 400 B.C., Rome conquered Ostia and made it a naval base, complete with a fort. By A.D. 150, when Rome controlled all the Mediterranean, Ostia served as its busy commercial port. With the fall of Rome, the port was abandoned. Over time the harbor silted up. I’d like to take a moment to thank the mud which eventually buried Ostia, protecting it from the ravages of time—and from stone-scavenging medieval peasants. Ostia’s small museum offers a delightful look at some of the city’s finest statuary—tangled wrestlers, kissing cupids, playful gods. Most of the statues are second- and third-century A.D. Roman pieces inspired by rare and famous Greek originals. The portrait busts are of real people—the kind you’d sit next to in the baths (or at the famous, many seated public toilets). Roman religion revered the man of the house (and his father and grandfather).

As statues of daddy and grandpa were common in the corner of any proper house, many survive today. Surviving frescos, while scant and humble, give a feeling for how living quarters may have been “wallpapered.” Perhaps the museum’s most interesting room features statuary from religions of foreign lands. Being a port town, Ostia accommodated people (and their worship needs) from all over the known world. These days, you can stroll among the ruins and trace the grid standard for Roman military towns: a rectangular fort with east, west, north, and south gates and two main roads converging on the Forum. Walking along the main drag, Decumanus Maximus, you can identify buildings from the Republic (centuries before Christ) and the Empire (centuries after Christ) by their level. Over the centuries, Ostia’s ground-level rose, and the road was elevated. Anything you walk down into is B.C. On the main drag you’ll see the vast theater (teatro). One of the oldest brick theaters anywhere, it’s still used for concerts today. The three rows of marble steps near the orchestra used to be for big shots.

Just in front of the theater is the grand Square of the Guilds, the former bustling center of Rome’s import/export industry, with more than 60 offices of ship-owners and traders. Along the sidewalk, second-century A.D. mosaics advertise the services offered by the various shops—a lighthouse symbolizes the port of Ostia and an elephant marks the office of traders from Africa. It’s fun to walk the entire square guessing from the ancient signs what was once for sale behind each store front. The Forum Baths, a huge, government-subsidized complex, were the city’s social nerve center. Fine marble steps—great for lounging—led to the pools. People used olive oil rather than soap to wash, so the water needed to be periodically skimmed by servants. From the viewpoint overlooking the Baths of Neptune you’ll see a fine mosaic of Neptune riding four horses through roller-coaster waves. Along Via Casa di Diana is the House of Diana, a great example of insulae (multi-storied tenement complexes where the lower middle-class lived) and an inn called the Insula of the Thermopolium. Belly up to this tavern’s bar.

You’ll see a small sink, shelves once used to display food and drinks for sale, and scant remains of wall paintings. A meander down Ostia’s back lanes is a veritable archaeological scavenger hunt. Look for hidden bits of fresco, preserved mosaic flooring, and millstones for grinding grain back when business was booming. The key to enjoying sights from ancient Rome is to resurrect all that rubble in your mind. A quick trip out to Rome’s ancient port helps do just, that making it more likely that your hours climbing through the wonders of ancient Rome will give you goosebumps rather than heatstroke. For more details, please see Rick Steves’ Rome. Rick Steves ( ) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. E-mail him at rick@ricksteves.com , or write to him c/o P.O. Box 2009, Edmonds, WA 98020.

© 2010 Rick Steves Ostia - Ancient History Encyclopedia Ostia by rconsoli published on 10 May 2013 Ostia (or Ostia Antica) lies 15 km from the city of Rome for which it served as the city’s principal port and harbour throughout antiquity. The name derives from ‘os’ or ‘ostium’ which means ‘mouth’ and refers to the city’s location at the mouth of the river Tiber. Although originally situated at the mouth of the river, because of silting, it is now some 3 km east of the present river mouth although still located on the south bank of the Tiber. Early History Ostia began its existence as a small settlement of native peoples in, perhaps, the 14th century BCE and was established in order to exploit the salt marshes to the immediate east. Roman tradition has it that Ostia was founded as a colony, Rome’s first, by its fourth king, Ancus Marcius in the late 7th century BCE, a date supported by Livy who suggests a founding date around 620 BCE.

Remove Ads Advertisement The strategic importance of Ostia for the defence of the Tiber mouth became apparent early on and it was fortified (the date is controversial, most probably in the mid 4th century BCE) with a military camp or castrum. This consolidated an advantageous position in Rome’s continuing conflicts with pirates and with its neighbours and it played a major resupply role in the wars against Carthage . This castrum exerted a major influence on the subsequent layout of the city and the remains of its wall may be seen, inter alia (among other things), bordering the Piazza dei Lari to the east. The Decumanus Maximus road divides the city north and south with the zones Regio I and Regio II to its north (and bordering the Tiber) and Regio IV and Regio V to its south. At the western border of the castrum the Decumanus Maximus encountered the old via della Foce road ('road of the mouth' also called the via Laurentina) which strikes it at an oblique angle running from northwest to southeast. The Decumanus for that reason was carried off not directly to the west but to the southwest.

This creates a wedge-shaped section extending from the intersection of the Decumanus Maximus and the via Laurentina westward. This wedge is Regio III. In addition to the five regions there are two outlying constructions; an 'Imperial Palace' about 200 m distant to the west which is conceptually part of Regio I and the 'Porta Marina' or Sea Gate complex which is assigned to Regio III. Republican Period The evidence for the city of Ostia during the Republican period consists of scattered literary fragments. Following the establishment of the castrum, by the 3rd century BCE Ostia was primarily a naval base; in 278 BCE it received a fleet sent from Carthage to assist the Romans against Pyrrhus and it was the port of departure in 217 BCE for supplies to assist the army fighting Hannibal in Spain. In 204 BCE the ship bearing the image of Cybele arrived in Ostia where it was welcomed by a large crowd of nobles and other notables. It was a target during the civil war of the 1st century BCE and was pillaged by Marius.

In 67 CE Ostia played an important role in the effort to control the Cilician pirates who actually attacked the port and destroyed most of the Roman fleet meant for their suppression. Advertisement Imperial Period Larger vessels could not navigate the Tiber mouth and so, before the harbour was built, lighters needed to be employed to bring cargo ashore. The importance of Ostia as a port city increased dramatically after Claudius undertook to build two great moles at Portus, about 3 km northwest of Ostia. This major undertaking (begun in 42 CE) took about 20 years to complete, the new port finally being dedicated under Nero in 64 CE (but it seems to have been in use as early as 62 CE). The growth of Ostia into a major urban centre begins at this time; at its height the population is 50,000-70,000 people. Up until that time the anchorage in the mouth of the Tiber was uncertain, the coast also being a lee shore and dangerous. Larger vessels could not navigate the Tiber mouth and so, before the harbour was built, lighters needed to be employed to bring cargo ashore.

Claudius’ new port alleviated all of these factors which had provided a natural check on the growth of the city. Now Ostia became a port town in earnest; the residence of workers at the port as well as of the negotiators who arranged trans-shipment of cargoes upstream. This development coincided with the period in which the grain shipments from Egypt (the Annonaria) were reaching their full extent and these enormous annual shipments of grain added impetus to the growth of the city. Under Trajan an ambitious expansion to the Portus complex was completed in the years 106-113 CE. This took the form of a large hexagonal harbour just to the east of, and connected to, Claudius’ outer harbour. After this time the grain fleet from Egypt was brought to Portus and not to Puteoli as it had been until that time. Notable Buildings & Structures The Capitolium ( Hadrian ) is a temple located at the north end of the forum. It consists of a structure in marble-clad brick sitting on a high podium and is approached from the south by a wide set of marble steps. The whole measures 35 x 17 m and was, perhaps, 20 m in height.

It forms the southern limit of the Cardo which it blocks, this end of the Cardo having been transformed into the Forum. It was dedicated to the Capitoline triad of Jupiter , Juno , and Minerva . Remove Ads Advertisement The theatre of Ostia (excavated in 1880-1881 CE and extensively restored) is located to the north side of the Decumanus Maximus and east of the forum. It was initially built by Marcus Agrippa between 18 and 12 BCE. In its first incarnation it was smaller; the cavea was 63 m in diameter and there were 21 rows of seats divided into two sections. It was rebuilt and enlarged (largely in brick) under Emperor Commodus (completed under Septimius Severus ). The diameter of the cavea was enlarged to 88 m across so that the potential seating increased from 3,000 to about 6,000 persons. In order to support this increased size the outer ring extended partially over the Decumanus Maximus and so, in order not to impede the flow of traffic, this outer ring was designed as a series of open arches.

At the end of the 4th century CE the theatre was restored and changes were made that allowed the orchestra to be flooded for aquatic displays. The Piazzale delle Corporazioni - in reality a porticus post scaenam (entrance) for the theatre - is on an axis with the theatre. It was first laid out in the time of Augustus ; its size at that time was 107 x 78 m and it was enclosed with a wall. In Hadrian’s time it was raised about 40 cm. and it was doubled in size. Some time in the 2nd century CE (perhaps under Septimius Severus) partition walls were added which resulted in the creation of some 60 smaller spaces. These dividing walls were built after the famous mosaics. Aside from its architectural interest the significance of the Piazzale lies precisely in these much-admired mosaics. Here we have pictorial testimony to the economic life of the city: the shippers and trans-shippers of grain, wild animals, ivory; the manufacturers and sellers of cordage and other nautical supplies. The Horrea The horrea (sing.

horreum), while architecturally nothing more than large warehouses, were central to Rome’s need to feed itself and they deserve the careful attention of anyone concerned with the life of Rome. There were, perhaps, 20 significant warehouses in the city. The majority were dedicated primarily to the storage of grain but many kinds of valuable goods entered through Ostia and were certainly stored in such warehouses as the Epagathiana. The Grandi Horrea began under Claudius and their function clearly correspond to the grain shipments which would be hosted by his new harbour. It was enlarged almost immediately under Nero. It consisted of a large rectangle of 78 by 91 m lined with storage cells. In the centre another double row of cells increased storage space. As early as Nero’s time a second floor was being constructed on the east side. The storage capacity of the ground floor alone has been estimated at 5.660 to 6.960 metric tons of grain. It has been estimated that 150,000 tons (20 million modii) of grain were required each year to feed the Roman people.

If we estimate the storage capacity of this horreum (ground floor alone) at approximately 5,500 metric tons of grain then we reach a figure which is about 4% of the lowest estimated requirement of grain for Rome in any one year (about 150,000 metric tons). So this single warehouse was an important component in the grain supply system for Rome and must have been turned over several times during the year as its contents were transferred to lighter ships which worked their way up the Tiber to Rome. Horrea Epagathiana was a large warehouse owned by two freedmen, Epagathus and Epaphroditus. It was built in the mid-2nd century CE and it is possible, due to the many locks found, that this warehouse was intended for the storage of valuables. The Piccolo Mercato, despite its name, was a very large warehouse for, most probably, the storing of grain. Finally, the Horrea Antoniniani was a large warehouse fronting on what was then the Tiber bank; almost certainly imperial and its primary use was for storing grain. It has only been partially excavated.

Temples The Temple of Rome and Augustus was built early in the reign of Tiberius , shortly after 14 CE. Located at the south end of the forum, only the substructure remains. Its dimensions are 80 x 45 ft (24.4 x 13.7 m). Nothing is visible today except a series of small corridors and chambers mostly in opus reticulatum (diamond-shaped bricks). The Temple of Heracles is located in the Area of the Republican Temples and dates from about 225 to 150 BCE. Heracles (or Hercules ) was, perhaps, worshipped here as the god of War by the military commanders stationed here. The statue to be found on the platform is of C. Cartilius Poplicola, a member of the prominent Ostian family and whose father may, in fact, have been responsible for the temple's construction. The Tempio Rotondo is a large round temple with a rectangular forecourt. Nothing much remains either of the temple or its forecourt but both its size and central location make it one of the more significant temples in the city.

Its round form suggests parallels to the Pantheon in Rome; like that temple it may have been dedicated to all the gods but the finding of large portrait heads of the Emperors in other parts of Ostia suggests that it was dedicated to the deified emperors. Baths There are significant baths in the city and amongst the best known are the Baths of Neptune. These large baths are positioned east of the theatre and cover an area about 67 m². The currently visible remains are from the 2nd century CE and were financed by Hadrian and Antoninus Pius . It is of classical Roman bath construction and is most notable for its extensive black and white mosaics featuring Nilotic and oceanic scenes of tritons, hippocampi, and dolphins. Also of interest is the small mosaic of Christian symbols, laid after 250 CE. Mithraea There are 17 (including one in the Imperial Palace) identified mithraea at the site - places for the worship of the Mystery religion Mithraism. Most are evenly scattered throughout the city. Amongst the most notable mithraea in Ostia is the Mitreo delle Terme del Mitra.

This mithraeum is installed in a corridor beneath the so-called Baths of Mithras. The walls are lined with long podia and the statue of the tauroctony (now in the Museo Ostiense but replaced in situ by a copy), depicting Mithras killing a bull, is dramatically lit from above by a skylight. Help us write more We're a small non-profit organisation run by a handful of volunteers. Each article costs us about $50 in history books as source material, plus editing and server costs. You can help us create even more free articles for as little as $5 per month , and we'll give you an ad-free experience to thank you! Become a Member Bibliography Ostia – Travel guide at Wikivoyage Ostia is in Lazio , Italy , close to Rome's major airport of Fiumicino . Ostia's ancient theatre Understand[ edit ] Not far from the center of Rome, Ostia is a residential area, the capital's beach, and a well-known "Tourist Port" with moorings for boats from 8 to 60 metres in length.

It also contains many Roman ruins, dating back to the days when Ostia served as Rome's port (a function now taken over by Civitavecchia ). Ostia Antica is one of Lazio's major attractions, less crowded and, for some, more enjoyable than the ruins of Pompeii . So if you can't make it down to Pompeii don't worry. Just head out to Ostia. Italy might be a Catholic country, but you won't detect any religious conservatism in the skimpy bikinis on display here. There's a carnival atmosphere, with dance halls, cinemas, and pizzerias. The Lido is set off best at Castelfusano, against a backdrop of pinewoods, which provide the summer residence of the President of Italy. This stretch of shoreline is referred to as the Roman Riviera. If you're flying out of Fiumicino, this town is a good stopover for the night before. You can return your rental car if need be, and catch a cab for a few minute, few kilometer ride to the airport, and forget about the trains and the traffic from Rome.

Get in[ edit ] If you want to see both ancient and modern Rome, grab your swimsuit, towel, and sunblock, and take the Roma-Lido Train from Piramide/Porta San Paolo; ATAC tickets and passes for Rome are valid on this train. Departures are about every 15 minutes, or during Sunday and public holidays every 30 minutes, the trip takes about 40 minutes. The train lets you off across one of the highways that connects Rome with the coast. It's just a short walk to the Ostia Antica excavations. Later, board the train again to visit Lido di Ostia and the beach. There is also a bus, number 070 departing from EUR Fermi (metro B) and going to the Castelporziano beach. From the Fiumicino Airport there is a regional bus (COTRAL) departing from Terminal 2 heading to Ostia central station every 40 minutes, the trip takes about half-hour. Get around[ edit ] Beaches at Ostia are crowded during the summer months and are full of deck chairs and sunbeds that you have to rent.

If you would like a bit more space and a chance to sit on the sand without paying for the privilege you can take a bus from the Cristoforo Colombo train station or hire a bike with specialized company for make a tour around this area. This heads south towards Torvaianica. After a couple of miles of beach and dunes that are closed to the public you come to public beach areas, the dunes of Castelporziano, These have good restaurants, toilets and showers and all the area is a natural reserve and the biggest pinewood in Rome (if you get lost ask for "Cancelli" everybody knows this area as this name) Ostia Antica[ edit ] Some of the ruins at Ostia Antica Ostia Antica (Arriving from Rome, get off at Ostia Antica station, a couple of miles from the beach area). From 08.30. Closing time varies according to the season. Closed Mondays. Admission €8.00 (€4.00 for EU residents between 18 and 25), maps €2. Originally a colony of Rome , Ostia grew to become the major port of the city.

It was situated on the mouth of the Tiber, the word Ostia meaning mouth. The town's growth started in the late Republic, but expanded rapidly under the Emperors Claudius and Trajan. The town was deserted after Rome's fall in 476 AD, and the buildings fell into ruins which were in turn covered by sand and mud from the Tiber, preserving them. The ancient town remained farmland until excavations took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and now most of the old town is uncovered, giving the visitor an idea of what life was like in an Ancient Roman commercial town during the height of the Empire. The ruins are similar to those in Pompeii , but there are no wealthy houses in Ostia. Note that the archaeological site is vast, with plenty to see to occupy a full day. You will need to wear good footwear. In Ostia Antica, you should buy a guide book from the ticket office when you enter. Without a guide book, you will see lumps of stone everywhere. With a guide book, you will understand what buildings stood where those lumps of stone now lie. On your tour look out for: The Forum, with its Capitol.

The Temple's podium is still in place, as are the walls of the cellar where the cult statues were kept. You get an appreciation of how huge Roman temples were. The Piazza of the Corporations, behind the theatre, preserves the offices of trade guilds or merchants from various parts of the world, each office identified by its mosaic floor. Ostia is famous for the ancient apartment buildings that are very well preserved. The town's population were poor dock workers living in large apartment buildings. These buildings can be explored to one storey in height, with narrow stairways and corridors leading to small rooms. There are also the remains of more wealthy houses, such as the House of Cupid and Pysche, with very rich marble decorations. You get a real feel for how these people lived 2,000 years ago. The small museum contains the main finds from the excavations, ranging from cult statues to small bits of sculpture. Near the arena The ancient warehouses and docks. These are well preserved and look very much like those of the 19th century. The ancient kerbs and pavement is still in place as they are in Pompeii and Herculaneum . Visit the two Baths with their beautiful and famous mosaic floors.

Other attractions[ edit ] Ostia Castle. This is close to Ostia Antica, on the other side of the railway line and Via del Mare in the small village of Ostia Antica. It was built in 1483 by Giuliano della Rovere, who later became Pope Julius II. Much of the building material consisted of bricks pilfered from Ostia Antica. Pinewood of Castelfusano, easily accessible from the stations of Cristoforo Colombo or Castelfusano, and the suburb of Infernetto Portus. Although Rome's original harbour was at Ostia Antica, around AD 46 the Emperor Claudius constructed a new harbour north of Ostia with two long curving moles projecting into the sea. The harbour opened directly to the sea to the north-west protecting it from the prevailing south-west wind. It connected with the River Tiber by a channel on the south-east. The harbour was known as Portus and the Via Portuensis still connects Rome with the area. In 103 AD Trajan constructed another harbour farther inland, a hexagonal basin. The basin itself is now a reedy lagoon and remains of the many warehouses can still be seen.

Like many points of archaeological interest in the area the port is unfortunately not open to the public without making an appointment. Details at [1] ]. Porto turistico di Ostia. About 2km north-west of the center of Ostia. This is a modern development close to the old Roman port. It has berths for up to 794 boats, from 8m to 53m in length. Shops catering to yachties, restaurants and bars. A popular place among Romans for a weekend stroll. Eat[ edit ] Ostia Antica. There is a modern, clean restaurant inside the site, next to the gift shop which stocks all kinds of items such as postcards, posters, books and souvenirs. Ferrara (just off the Lungomare near the pier). You know it's terrific because of the crowds all the time. They have all kinds of pizze and many side dishes, all cafeteria style at very reasonable prices, and very tasty. Gelateria Salus, Lungomare Paolo Toscanelli, 117, ☎ +39 06 976 13 117 .

Very good ice cream (only at the table) in a particularly nice environment, prices are mid-range, but the ice cream and service are worth the price. Ristorante Don Pepe , ☎ +39 065672408 . Lungomare Paolo Toscanelli 125. Italian and Spanish cooking: fish and meat. Drink[ edit ] [dead link]Faber Beach , 199 Lungomare Paolo Toscanelli. Bar and restaurant right on the beach. In winter becomes the Evolution restaurant. Sleep[ edit ] Hotel Ping-Pong, Lungomare Paolo Toscanelli 84 (just down from the pier), ☎ +39 065601733 . Convenient, reasonable, friendly staff. Fax number is same phone number Litus Roma Hostel . Lungomare Toscanelli 186. The first hostel by the sea in Rome. Located near the new port of Rome and close to the excavations of Ostia Antica. It's easily reachable from the center of Rome by public transportation.

Over 140 beds in comfortable rooms with ensuite bathrooms, TV, sea views, free daily maid service, and laundry services. € 24-38. Major new discoveries at Rome's Ostia - Lyfestyle - ANSA.it Major new discoveries at Rome's Ostia Major new discoveries at Rome's Ostia Authorities find 'exceptional' new area of Ancient Rome near sea Scrivi alla redazione (ANSA) - Rome, April 16 - A "secret" part of the ancient Roman port of Ostia has been unearthed and is "bigger than Pompeii," Rome's archaeological superintendency said Wednesday. The "exceptional results" reveal that Rome was "split in two by the Tiber River in the First Century BC," it said. The find is enormous, including towers and warehouses as well as boundary walls that scholars say had been missing from what had been previously recovered from the popular site located on the southwestern edge of Rome. Experts from Italy and Britain were involved in the discovery, using special equipment to identified buried ancient walls, road layouts and structures buried beneath the earth.

The finding sheds new light on how important Ostia was to trade in the first 200 years of the millennium, said Mariarosaria Barbera, superintendent of Rome's archaeological heritage. "The presence of large storage areas in the part of Ostia north of the Tiber reopens the issue of the size of the trade that took place on the banks of the river," where the Tiber flows into the sea. Ostia, which some Ancient Rome buffs prefer to Pompeii, has been yielding surprising finds in recent years. Last July, a Roman mausoleum and domus (house) emerged from under a "mini-dump" of tin cans in a park at the ancient port. The head of Ostia's archaeological superintendency, Paola Germoni, and the American Institute for Roman Culture's director, Darius Arya, presented the find. Germoni said the two bodies had worked with students from 14 US universities on two parts of the park. "They found a circular-plan mausoleum clad with travertine blocks which had its initial stage between the end of the first century BC and the start of the first century AD, with stages of re-use up till the fifth century AD," she said.

"Furthermore, a wall structure from late antiquity was discovered under the humus of the park and the illegal waste dump which revealed a beautiful polychrome marble-covered pavement, from the fourth-fifth century AD. "We believe it was a domus, whose level of pavement work denotes a certain refinement," Germoni said. More than two years before the rubbish find, in April 2011, an ancient ship emerged from the ground at the Imperial Roman port of Ostia in a find then-culture minister Giancarlo Galan said "gives you goose bumps". An 11-metre section of one of the ship's sides has so far been discovered, archaeologists said. They and Galan said the discovery would make experts think anew about the exact location of the port where the Roman empire's biggest fleet was stationed and through which goods travelled to and from the imperial capital. "This great result tells us a lot of things about the ancient coastline and what was happening about 2,000 years ago," said Galan. Archaeologists said they were expecting to find something in the area, where a major road bridge is being rebuilt, and had launched a programme of so-called 'preventive archaeology'.

Site director Germoni stressed that this type of work "enables us to combine the demands of conservation of ancient artefacts with the needs of the general public". She said the discovery "would plausibly move back the ancient coast line some four kilometres from where it is now". Silt and river movements have pushed back the area of the once-bustling port, which is now a major archeological site called Ostia Antica, the best-preserved ancient Roman town outside Pompeii. Although it attracts far fewer visitors than Pompeii, many enthusiasts say it offers a similar thrill and feel of ancient life. Anna Maria Moretti, archaeological superintendent for Rome and Ostia Antica, said the ship find was "a novelty because at that depth, about four metres below the topsoil, we have never found a ship, only layers (of buildings) and one single structure". "At the moment we only have a sizeable chunk of one side (of the ship), neither the poop nor stern". She also said there were "remains of ropes and cables" in the ship. "Restoring the vessel will be an extremely delicate operation," Moretti went on. "We're keeping it constantly covered in water so that the wood doesn't dry out.

"The wreck must be treated with highly sophisticated preservation techniques," Moretti said. Several Roman ships were found during the construction of the nearby Fiumicino Airport in the 1950s and are now housed in a museum at Ostia Antica. Ancient Roman Ostia, at the since-moved mouth of the River Tiber, was built into a massive complex under the Emperor Claudius and given the name Portus, meaning port. It was expanded under successive emperors such as Trajan and Hadrian and served as a base for many of the empire's greatest expeditions. Ostia was also the depot channelling the vast wealth, grain and other supplies needed to feed the appetites of the imperial city. Ostia | Italy | Britannica.com Ostia Lazio Ostia, modern Ostia Antica, seaport of ancient Rome, originally on the Mediterranean coast at the mouth of the Tiber River but now, because of the natural growth of the river delta, about 4 miles (6 km) upstream, southwest of the modern city of Rome , Italy . The modern seaside resort, Lido di Ostia, is about 3 miles (5 km) southwest of the ancient city.

Roman ruins at Ostia, Italy. © Mar_Bo/Fotolia Ostia was a port of republican Rome and a commercial centre under the empire (after 27 bce). The Romans considered Ostia their first colony and attributed its founding (for the purpose of salt production) to their fourth king, Ancus Marcius (7th century bce). Archaeologists have found on the site a fort of the mid-4th century bce, but nothing older. The purpose of the fort was to protect the coastline. It was the first of the long series of Rome’s maritime colonies. When Rome developed a navy, Ostia became a naval station, and during the Punic Wars (264–201 bce) it served as the main fleet base on the west coast of Italy. It was the major port—especially significant in grain trade—for republican Rome until its harbour, partly obstructed by a sandbar, became inadequate for large vessels. During the empire Ostia was a commercial and storage centre for Rome’s grain supplies and a service station for vessels going to Portus , the large artificial harbour built by Claudius .

In 62 ce a violent storm swamped and sank some 200 ships in the harbour. Rome’s problem with sea commerce was eventually solved when Trajan added a large hexagonal basin to the harbour. Roman ruins at Ostia, Italy. © Barbara Schreiber Roman ruins at Ostia, Italy. © Shawn McCullars New baths, temples, and warehouses were built to support the thriving community . At the height of Ostia’s prosperity in the early 2nd century ce, its population was approximately 50,000. The growing population was accommodated by means of tall brick apartment buildings of three, four, and five stories. The floors in these buildings were paved with mosaic , and the walls elaborately painted; the larger flats had up to 12 rooms. The growth in wealth raised the standard of public generosity of leading citizens. Public funds were restricted, but magistrates were expected to show their appreciation of honours in a practical way; it was they who provided most of the sculpture that adorned the public buildings and public places and who built most of the temples. Ostia also was sufficiently vital to Rome to receive the attention of emperors.

Its three largest sets of public baths were the result of imperial generosity. Learn about the water supply and sanitary facilities of ancient Ostia, Italy. © Open University (A Britannica Publishing Partner) Ancient Roman theatre at Ostia, Italy. A. Dagli Orti/DeA Picture Library Similar Topics Portus Little new building occurred after the end of the 2nd century. Ostia suffered from the decline of the Roman economy beginning in the 3rd century. As trade decreased, the town became more popular as a residential area for the wealthy. Augustine, returning to Africa with his mother, Monica, stayed in Ostia, not Portus. Barbarian raids of the 5th and following centuries caused population loss and economic decline. Ostia was abandoned after the erection of Gregoriopolis site of (Ostia Antica) by Pope Gregory IV (827–844). The Roman ruins were quarried for building materials in the Middle Ages and for sculptors’ marble in the Renaissance.

Archaeological excavation was begun in the 19th century under papal authority and was sharply accelerated between 1939 and 1942 under Benito Mussolini , until about two-thirds of the Roman town was uncovered. Roman ruins at Ostia, Italy. © Barbara Schreiber

Question: Which archaeological site at the mouth of the River Tiber served as the major port of the Roman Republic?
Answer: OSTIA ANTICA